With the rapid development of information technology and its ever-increasing value, control of access to confidential data has become one of the most important tasks for both private organizations and governments. Information theft, data loss, unauthorized access and interference with sensitive systems, as well as document forgery – these are just some of the things that can cause damage to not only small or medium-sized businesses, but also to giant corporations and government institutions. Humanity has developed more and more security systems to control access to information. The most reliable systems are biometric.

According to MarketsandMarkets research, the market for biometric systems will grow to 68.6 billion US dollars by 2025. Biometric technology is faster, more convenient and more secure compared to traditional systems that use passwords, PIN codes or smart cards. In addition, biometric systems are easy to use and do not require much technical knowledge to operate. There are different common methods of biometric recognition such as fingerprints, handwriting, soundwaves, and face or iris recognition. But have you heard of an access control system that uses the pattern of veins in the user’s hand?

In the venous pattern identification process, infrared rays are absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood in the veins of the hand. Next, the device captures the ‘venous pattern’ and encrypts the data, creating a unique biometric template. The venous pattern of every human hand is unique.

Later, when re-scanning, the palm veins pattern is compared with the previously saved user template to give or deny access. Contactless palm vein authentication technology was first developed and introduced by Fujitsu in 2003 and has since spread around the world. In Ukraine, this technology is represented by Biosol Ukraine (biosol.com.ua), which is the exclusive representative of the well-known manufacturer Identytech Solutions Ltd. The reliability of the Identytech solution has been proven by many successful implemented projects around the world. There are two main criteria to determine the reliability of palm vein authentication technology: FAR (False Acceptance Rate) – how often the system gives access to an unregistered user, and FRR (False Rejection Rate) – how often a registered person can’t get access. These metrics are calculated based on simple statistics. The lower these values are, the more accurate the system is. The table below confirms that among the most common types of biometric control systems, the most reliable are palm vein recognition and iris scanning.

In comparison with the main methods of identification, a very important role is played by the combination of factors such as resistance to data falsification, consistency of biometrics, sensitivity to external factors, speed of recognition, the possibility of contactless scanning and more. There is another key feature – the pattern of the veins of the palm is hidden inside the hand, so it is not visible unlike other biometric data This is a unique advantage that makes it the most promising biometric method.
Security
Smart cards and keys can be lost, and PIN codes and passwords can be stolen or forgotten. While using PalmSecure, your «key» is always with you and secure, because cause your biometric code is hidden inside your hand. It is virtually impossible to steal the «imprint» and create a copy. Even if a thief captures the pattern of the veins of your palm, they will not be able to deceive the scanner because the device also captures blood flow, which makes the method resistant to counterfeiting.
Precision
Because the palm has a larger surface area than, for example, a finger or iris, the palm vein scanner uses more data control points. This makes it superior to other biometric systems.
Reliability
The palm vein pattern stays relatively stable throughout life. The venous network is formed in adolescence and remains the same through to old age. Other biometric characteristics are more prone to external factors and change over time. Contact lenses make it impossible to scan the retina or iris, and fingerprints are prone to abrasion and damage. However, with the venous pattern of the palm, the probability of damage to the veins is much lower.
Hygiene and ease of use
Palm vein scanning technology is non-contact, which means you don’t have to touch the sensor to be identified. Just raise your hand to the scanner and hold for 1-2 seconds – you don’t need to touch it. This makes the method much more hygienic than systems that require direct contact with the scanner. This is especially true for devices that are used by many people or in industries where there are strict sanitary requirements, such as hospitals and chemical or food industries.

Palm vein identification can be used for a variety of purposes in many industries.
For example, in Israel, it is used at financial and defense departments. Other successful use cases also include real estate and healthcare, where hygiene and accuracy are paramount. This technology is new in Ukraine, but it has already found its place in various enterprises as a control system for access to
server rooms in the IT industry. Another excellent example of where palm vein scanning technology can be applied is the restriction of unauthorized execution of actions that require 2 or more participants for safety, such as access to dangerous materials.

Venous scanning is taking more and more of the biometric identification market because it is easy to use and reliable. With this technology, you can be sure that your information is protected and access is only given to authorized users.